Certain alloys in commercial use for wear and corrosion applications are distributed by Deloro Stellite Company, Inc. under the trade designation Tribaloy. Alloys within the Tribaloy alloy family are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,410,732, 3,795,430, 3,839,024, and in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/250,205. Three specific alloys in the Tribaloy family are distributed under the trade designations T-400, T-800, and T-400C. The nominal composition of T-400 is Cr-8.5%, Mo-28%, Si-2.6%, and balance Co. The nominal composition of T-800 is Cr-17%, Mo-28%, Si-3.25%, and balance Co. The nominal composition of T-400C is Cr-14%, Mo-26%, Si-2.6%, and balance Co.
The foregoing alloys as well as other alloys utilize a so-called “Laves” phase (named after its discoverer Fritz Laves) to increase the hardness of the alloy. In general, Laves phases are intermetallics, i.e. metal-metal phases, having an AB2 composition where the A atoms are ordered as in a diamond, hexagonal diamond, or related structure, and the B atoms form a tetrahedron around the A atoms. Laves phases are strong and brittle, due in part to the complexity of their dislocation glide processes. A Laves phase alloy of further enhanced ductility over current commercial Laves phase alloys is therefore desirable for certain applications.